Car-underframe.



A. BECKER.

GAB. UNDERERAME.

APPLIGATION FILED PEB. 4, 1909.

Patented Aug. 1, 1911.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

W I TNESSES CVJLUMBIA PLANOGRAPH co., WASHINGTON. u. C.

A. BECKER.

CAB. UNDERPRAME.

APPLIoATIoN FILED PEB. 4, 1909.

l A. I

' Patented Aug. 1, 1911.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

ANTON BECKER, OF COLUMBUS, OHIO, ASSIGNOR T0 TI-IE RALSTON STEEL CARCOlVI- PANY, OF COLUMBUS, OHIO, A CORPORATION OF OHIO.

CAR-UNDERFRAME.

Application filed February 4, 1909.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ANTON BECKER, a citizen of the United States,residing at Columbus, in the county of Franklin and State of Ohio, haveinvented cert-ain new and useful Improvements in Car-Underframes, ofwhich the following is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in car underframes, especially tothe bolster and floor supporting constructions of a hopper car.

The invention includes especially bolster diaphragms which are extendedupwardly above the center girder construction and form a support for thefloor sheets; these diaphragms are preferably connected transverselyover the center girder and are provided with a tension member which isalso secured to the floor; also, reinforcing means are provided on thediaphragms, and preferably also a bracket support for the diaphragms andfloor sheets is provided, associated with the center girder.

The essential features are the bolster diaphragms arranged on each sideof the center girder, and being extended upwardly to the floor, andprovided with a tension member at their upper edges and tied togetherover the center girder by a member which is also preferably secured tothe center girder. Fewer pieces are needed in a construction of thiskind, and a thoroughly practical and efficient bolster and floor supportare provided.

In the drawings which are hereto attached and hereby made a part of thisspecification, Figure 1 is a vertical transverse section through the carat the rear of the bolster; Fig. 2 is a vertical longitudinal sectionthrough a portion of one end of a car showing my improvements thereon;Fig. 3 is a perspective showing the manner of connecting the diaphragmsto the center girder and of reinforcing them.

Referring to the drawings, 1 is the center girder construction formed,in this instance, of parallel channels having their flanges inwardlydirected, and connected by the center brace 2, which is provided withthe flanges 3 and 4 through which rivets 5 are inserted and passthro-ugh the channels; 6 is an opening in the center brace whereby theking pin or bolt may be positioned.

On each side of the center girder, I pro- Specicaton of Letters Patent.

Patented Aug. 1, 1911.

Serial No. 476,134.

vide bolster diaphragms 7 and 8 which eX- tend Lvertically upward abovethe upper face of the center girder into proximity with the floor;flanges 9 and 10 are formed,A on the bolster diaphragms and applied tothe vertical web of the center girder and the center brace, therebysecurely uniting these three members. The bolster diaphragms areprovided at their lower edges with flanges 11 and 12, and on theopposite side of the diaphragms are positioned angle members 13 and 14;the rivets 15 and 16 -secure said angle members to the diaphragms. Acompression member 17 underlies the center girder and the bolsterdiaphragms, ext-ends from side to side of the car, and is riveted to thelower flanges on the bolster diaphragm-s and to the angle members 13 and14.

Sub side sills are shown at 18 and 19, and angle members 2O and 21secure together the bolster diaphragms and the sub side sills.

A tie member 22, in this instance of angular formation, is applied tothe bolster diaphragms and the upper flanges of the center girder, andthereby ties together the diaphragms and also secures them to the centergirder flanges, as appears at 23 and 24.

Secured to the under face of the floor sheets is a transverse member 25which has an inclined ange 26 thereon and a depending flange 27; to thelatter flange are applied the upper edges of the bolster diaphragms 7and 8, and they are firmly secured thereto by means of the rivets 28 and29. The depending flange 27 of the member 25 erforms the oflice of atension member for the bolster diaphragms and at the same time connectsthe said diaphragms to the floor whereby the latter is supported. Itwill be noted that in this construction I do not employ an independenttension member, the parts being so connected together that l dispensewith the use of separate angles or plates as tension members.

At their outer ends, the bolster diaphragms 7 and 8 are connected withthe sides of the car by means of the angle members 30 and 31, the anglemembers being connected by means of their lower anges 32 and 33 with theupper flanges of the sub side sills 18 and 19 resting thereon and beingriveted thereto as shown at 34 and 35.

The members 30 and 31 are also riveted at 36 and 37 to the dependingflange 27 of the the under face of the floor sheets 42 and isl rivetedthereto at 43.

At 44 the flange 39 is secured to the depending flange 27 of thetransverse member 25. The flange 39 is also secured through thediaphragm 8 to the tie member 22 at 45.

The lower portion of the bracket member 38 overlaps the center girder 1and bears laterally against the vertical web thereof, and is securedthereto as appears at 46. It is seen that the bracket member 38 istherefore secured to the tension 'member 27, the diaphragm 8, the tiemember 22, the center girder 1, and has quite an extensive. lateralbearing against the center girder. Referring to Fig. 1, a similarbracket member is seen at 47, secured to the various members in the samemanner described above for the bracket 38. It is further seen that thebracket member 38 is so positioned that it reinforces the inner edge 48of the diaphragm 8.

Between the inner and outer ends of the bolster diaphragme I providereinforcing members 49 and 50, which, in this instance, are platesapplied to the face of the diaphragm, substantially vertically thereof,and in Fig. 3, I have shown these plates applied in pairs, on theOpposite sides of the diaphragm, a plate on the opposite side of theplate designated as 50 being shown in Fig. 3. Although I have shown thisreinforcing construction formed of plates, yet, instead thereof I mayutilize a bracket member similar to 38, applying the vertical Harigethereof to the diaphragm, the inclined flange thereof to the floorsheets, and securing the bracket through these flanges to the saidmembers. This construction is readily understood and is not thereforeillustrated, consisting in the application of an illustrated member at adifferent point.

I desire to have the advantage of any variations or modifications ofconstruction lying within the scope of the appended claims, and do nottherefore confine myself to the specific construction illustrated anddescribed.

What I claim is:

1. In a hopper car having a center girder and floor, a bolster diaphragmon each side of the center girder secured thereto and eX- tendingupwardly above the center girder, a tension member applied to the upperedge of said diaphragm and connecting the same with the floor, and abracket member interposed between said diaphragm and floor and securedthereto and to said tension member and bearing laterally against thecenter girder and being secured thereto.

2. In a hopper car, a center girder and floor, a member applied to saidfloor transversely having a depending flange, bolster web plates on eachside of the center girder secured thereto and extending upwardly andbeing secured along their upper edges to said depending flange, wherebysaid floor is supported, said depending flange serving as a tensionmember, and ai bracket member applied to said bolster web plate andfloor and secured thereto and to said tension member, and bearinglaterally against the vertical web of the center girder and beingsecured thereto.

In testimony whereof I affix my signa ture in the presence of twowitnesses.

ANTON BECKER.

Witnesses E. S. CULVER, C. H. WEBER.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents. Washington, D. C.

